Chicken with vinegar

I learned to love chicken with vinegar for a very simple reason: it's a dish with real character. You sear the chicken, it sizzles in the pot, then you deglaze with vinegar and suddenly, everything comes alive. The acidity loosens the flavorful bits, the sauce practically builds itself up, and you get that quintessentially French blend of richness and zest.

My version is quite classic, the way they make it in Lyon: shallots, vinegar (I like red wine vinegar for its character), a little white wine, and a touch of cream to round it out. Nothing complicated, but you have to pay attention to a couple of details: brown the chicken well (that's where the flavor develops), and reduce it properly after deglazing to avoid a sauce that's too spicy.

To keep with the season, I add sautéed button mushrooms, just to bring a melt-in-your-mouth texture and an earthy, forest-like quality that works wonderfully with the vinegar. And I finish with fresh parsley, because it adds a touch of green and lightens the whole dish.

As for the presentation, you can serve it with steamed potatoes, homemade mashed potatoes, or even fresh pasta: anything that loves a good sauce. And if you prefer a slightly more robust sauce, you can play around with the vinegar (aged or not) and the reduction, without changing the essence of the dish.

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My recipe for Chicken with Vinegar

Recipe by Nathalie Laplace

5.0 based on 1 vote(s)

Type of dish: main courseKitchen: FrenchDifficulty: average

Portions

4

portions

Preparation time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

A classic Lyon dish: golden-brown chicken, deglazed with vinegar, then topped with a light cream sauce. With its balance of acidity, tenderness, and caramelized juices, it's a simple yet vibrant dish.

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Ingredients

• 1 Free-range chicken cut into 8 pieces (approx. 1.4 kg) or 8 pieces (thighs + drumsticks + breasts)

• 2 finely chopped shallots (approx. 60 g)

• 250g of button mushrooms, sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar (45 ml)

• 10 cl of dry white wine (100 ml)

• 20 cl of full-fat fresh cream (200 ml)

• 20g of butter

• 1 tablespoon of neutral oil (or mild olive oil)

• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste (20 g)

• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley

• 1 bay leaf (optional)

• Fine salt, freshly ground pepper

Instructions

• Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. It sounds silly, but well-dried chicken really does brown better.
• Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat with the oil and butter. Sear the chicken skin-side down first, without packing it down, for 5 to 7 minutes to brown it well. Turn it over and continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
• In the same pot (keeping the juices), sauté the shallots for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the garlic, then the mushrooms. Cook them for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally: they will release some water, then begin to brown.
• Return the chicken to the pot. Add the tomato paste and stir for 30 seconds to lightly "cook" it in the juices.
• Deglaze with vinegar: pour it in all at once and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon. Let it reduce for 1 to 2 minutes (the smell should be strong but not overpowering).
• Add the white wine (and the bay leaf if you are using it). Partially cover and simmer for 18 to 22 minutes over low heat, until the chicken is cooked through (the meat should easily pull away from the bone).
• Remove the lid. Take out the chicken pieces and keep them warm. Reduce the juices for 3 to 5 minutes over medium heat to concentrate the flavors.
• Reduce the heat. Add the cream, stir, and simmer for 2 minutes without boiling vigorously. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper (the vinegar should still be present but integrated).
• Return the chicken to the sauce for 1 minute to coat it. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Serve piping hot, with a side dish that will soak up the sauce.

📊 Nutritional Information

1 serving (approx. 360g, with sauce)

* RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance

📝 Notes

If you're using only chicken breasts, reduce the simmering time to 12-15 minutes to prevent them from drying out. With chicken thighs/drumsticks, you can simmer for up to 25 minutes without any problem.

💡 Chef's Tips

For a balanced sauce, always let it reduce for 1 to 2 minutes after adding the vinegar before adding the wine: this keeps the flavor lively without being overpowering. And if your chicken releases a lot of juices, take an extra 2 minutes to reduce before adding the cream: the sauce will be thicker and coat the back of a spoon.

🔄 Variations

• For an even deeper Lyonnais touch: replace 5 cl of white wine with 5 cl of chicken stock.
• Alcohol-free: replace the white wine with 10 cl of chicken stock, and keep the same reduction time.

Nathalie Laplace

Food writer for the Simple & Bon website. Passionate about healthy cooking and especially salads, slow-cooked or oven-baked recipes.